I Need Some Help

I finally got this old hay rake drug home this afternoon and am trying to get it ready for the field.

I can't find anywhere to check or add oil to that gearbox. There appears to be a wormgear backlash adjustment on top and it looks like it has had a wrench on it recently.

Does anyone out there own a Hesston hay rake and can tell me how to oil this thing?

Thanks,

Allan

I marvel at the guy down the road with his irrigated alfalfa. He mows it with a double sickle setup, and then uses a 40'+ Rowse Dump Rake to windrow it. Seems to get it done in no time flat, rain or shine.

PS: If everything else fails, I see there is a new 3 tine pitchfork on eBay for 168.00!

By 10am, she's getting too dry to be out there 'cause ya start to see the leaves leavin' ya. :>)

Allan

If you take a wrench to the big part of the plug, and a wrench on the small part, if they turn seperately very easily, it could be an adjust ment. For what I dont know. But if they are tight to each other, and want to come out as one piece, it is really likely that it is just a plug for adding lube.

My 2 cents.

You guys called it. Craziest looking plug I've ever seen. :>)

Thanks!

Allan

• Hobby farm

Have you had the nut off? Are you sure the plug there does not have a dip stick in it?

I noted the difficulty of checking oil in the gearbox of a finish mower.(For you out there in the dry country a finish mower is a light duty, three bladed rotary cutter for mowing lawns) Anyway, when I asked the salesman about it he said the company had decided that they had more problems with people leaving plugs out and losing oil so they were going to treat the gearbox as a sealed unit and assume the box would last as long as the rest of the mower.
Maybe thats the case with that Hesston. It looks like an aluminum gear box BTW.

Another question. Will a wheel rake cause too much leaf loss in alfalfa?

KEH

No, haven't had it off yet; scared to pull it out of there if it is a backlash adjuster. :>(

There is almost "no" leaf loss in alfalfa if you rake it right. Out here, we have to rake it when it is just "wilted" and do the baling when the dew is down.

Allan